David’s Diary – April 28, 1970

Tuesday, 28 April 1970

Up about 9:00. After breakfast I went over to the Building Center to get materials for a fence for the strawberry patch—chicken wire and 2X2 posts. Got home and set to work preparing the posts—i.e., using the saw to give them sharp ends. I stayed in the house near Debbie while Bonnie went to the laundra-mat (dry-cleaning to do); Debbie is investigating her dirty diapers these days—after bowel movement—and making quite a mess. When Bonnie got home I returned to working on the fence until lunch time. Then back to work. Shortly after Bonnie left I checked on Debbie—she’d done it again—the screen on her window needed to be cleaned—I hosed it down. I got the mess cleaned up—& Debbie washed—then back to work on the fence—got posts in, but had to stop because the staples were still in the car. So the rest of the afternoon (after shaving) I prepared my Bible class lesson for this evening—the story of Elijah. When Bonnie got home I had about 45 [min.] to work on attaching the wire to the posts. We had supper about 7:00—watched CBS news from 6:30–7:00. The Bible class arrived at 8:00—10 in attendance besides Bonnie + myself. After they left—about 9:30, worked on the annotated bibliography + reading list. Finally finished about 12:30. Bathed, OBLO, 1:05.

Wednesday 29 April 1970

Up about 8.30 or 8:45. The swelling below my left ear had not decreased—I felt faint while eating breakfast. But I decided to go ahead with the day’s activities. I drove to Gloucester and picked up the 25 (approx.) posters—and spent most of the morning running around Gloucester distributing these. When I got home I shaved, then went distributing signs in Rockport—and picked up my shoes at George Marr’s. When I got home I called Dr. Browns office and he told me to come over in about 30 min. So I rested while then went—arriving there at 12:30. He said that I might have the mumps—told me to take it easy. But I decided to go ahead with my plans for the day. Ate lunch, got ready to go; left for Boston about 2:50. Bonnie did the driving. We arrived at BU at just 4:00—Bonnie took Debbie for a stroll along the Charles while I had class, which was over at 5:40. We had a visit with Dr. Beck. Then headed to Medford—arrived at Don McGaw’s just before 6:30. Ate supper. Arrived at the church about 7:30. Got things set up. I gave my Dead Sea Scrolls [lecture]. The discussion following was quite stimulating. We were able to leave for home about 10:45—I was having chills. Went right to bed when I got home; temperature 102.4° —a restless night.

Thursday, 30 April 1970

The swelling was worse when I awoke. There seemed to be no doubt now that I did have mumps—all day long I didn’t get out of bed more than 5 or 6 times. And Bonnie was on the phone a good part of the day making various arrangements. She contacted Tom Raper—asked him if he wanted to do the preaching this coming Sunday—he agreed to. She also had to contact Milton Fuller to alert him that the program this Sunday evening—the Black History film—will all be in his hands. During the day my fever decreased and I was feeling well enough to do a little reading—started on Bury’s History of Greece. Early in the afternoon Bonnie called the Lahey Clinic in Boston to reach the Stoners. They weren’t there yet. About mid-afternoon Dorothy called—I had to get it since Bonnie was tending to Debbie (she’d been investigating her dirty diapers again). I told her what the problem was—I knew they wouldn’t want to expose Joe to any sickness. We had made arrangements for Joe to stay at the Patriquins—but in the early evening we got a call that they were on their way home—didn’t want to take the risk. I slept during the evening; watched 11:00 p.m. news—Nixon’s invaded Cambodia —